Norwich students get a reality check with mock crash demonstration

Norwich High School’s juniors and seniors witnessed the aftermath of a horrific collision between a car and a motorcycle which left one of their classmates dead, four more fighting for their lives and another in police custody.

None of it, of course, was real. Rather it was part of a demonstration staged last week by Students Against Destructive Decisions with the help of the Norwich City Police and Fire Departments to remind students of the dangers of drinking and driving.

According to SADD Co-Advisor Tricia Della Porta, the mock crash is done every two years to coincide with prom and graduation.

“This situation will be very real,” Norwich Fire Chief Tracy Chawgo told the student audience, as a tarp was removed to reveal the carefully staged scene.

In the scenario, a motorcycle driven by Senior Jordan Dietrich had collided with a car driven by Senior Sam Distefano. Dietrich and his passenger, twelfth-grader Abby Dean, were thrown from the bike and sustained critical injuries. The car’s passengers, Junior Casey Edwards and Seniors Cara Frink and Karissa Hubbard, were all injured in the crash.

The cause of the accident became obvious when a staggering Distefano exited the car and tried in vain to get rid of a bag of empty beer cans.